Improvement in coen-plaitebs



E J Smiley Corn-PZdner Paname@ 17e@ fa, /867 @with tatts atrat y @Hirn FRANK J. i SMILEY. OF .lldARSlIAIiI.|, MICHIGAN. Letters Patent No. 71,917, elated December 10, 1867.V

IMPROVEMENT IN GORN-PLANTERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:V

Be it known that I, FRANK J. SMILEY, of the city of Marshall, in the county of Calhoun, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the'same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this-specification, i'n which- Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a transverse section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plane view of dropper.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures. l

My invention has for its object the more uniform and certain dropping of corner other seed, (especially when planted on uneven grounch) by means of what I term a perambulatorf the motion of which governs that of certain seed-dropping devices, in such a manner as to best tend to insure uniform and certain results;

and the better` to enable others skilled in the art to construct my invention, I will now proceed to describe i' the same. i

. The several parts constituting the frame of this machine are represented at a, which frame I usually make suliieiently wide to plant three rows of corn. f represents the hollow furrowers or shares, whichare connected to hanging bars cl, jointed to clips c, attached to the front girt of the frame, the outer clips being made adjustable in slots, and secured in place by wedges, or in any other convenient way, when set to correspond with the seed-discharge, for the required width between the rows.

The covering-rollers, the rims of. which are deeply concave, resembling two c onie frusta, are seen at R. JThey are hung to forked bars F, which are vjointed to the hanging bars d, the whole being supported by chains` c, hooked to adjustable hooks j on-the rocking-,shaft J, so as to be within easy reach of the driver, who, by means of a lever, z', can lift any of them over obstructions in the way.

The seed is contained within chambers E, formed by diaphragms or curved disks, as seen at D, insideofa cylinder, C, made in three parts, which slide together like the jointsof a telescope, so as to b e capable of adjustment to the several proper distances between the rows, and are secured in place by a pin at each end, entering into some one of a series of holes in the spring-catches nl, secured'to the central section. This cylin der isprovided with tight heads H, forming walls for the end seed-chambers, and is keyed or otherwise attached to a central shaft, L, the end journals of which are hung in bearings in the standards S, attached to the ends of the frame.

Around the annular portionsof the shell of the cylinder, within the seed-chambers E, aforesaid, I make suitable perforations, p,lfor the proper discharge of the seed into and through th'e dropping-tubes, only one of which, to avoid confusion, is exhibited at t, in addition to'the enlarged view given in fig. 3. I provide as many of these tubes (usually light castings) as may be needed to cover all the holes, and furnish them with coveringbands b, for the double purpose of more conveniently screwing or bolting to the cylinder, and for covering the v 'seed-holes therein not used in wide planting.

V The projecting end of the drop-tube is provided with alshort ear (see dotted lines, tig. 3) on one side, to which a partially-rotating slide, M, is pivoted, and ou the other with a covering-guard, N, within which that portion of the slide containing the open seed-cup o works, and I usually make 'these cups in separate sets, of different calibre, and insert them in socketsin the slides, to vary the quantity of seed to be sown.

Each slide is provided with a pair of tappetmrms, m, as seen, which, as the cylinder revolves, impinge suc; cessively-against two pins, T, in the edge of an open receiving-basin, K, in such a manner that one arm rotates the slide suiiiciently to uncover the seed-cup and drop the seed into the basin, from whence it passes into the hollow share underneath to the furrow, and the other arm, striking against the opposite pin, returns the seed cup to its former position under the guard.

I do not drive my seed-cylinders from the traction-wheels W of the machine, or their axle, as is usual, for the ridges, dead furrows, and other inequalities of the ground, render it next to impossible to plant at anything like equal distances in the rows. But I employ what I call a perambulator in the rear of the machine, its

/ n y. l 71,917

axle, P, being jointed by two connecting-bars, B,.with the journals of the seed-cylinder so as to move concentrically with it.

My perambulator consists of any desired number of wooden bars G, arranged in equally-divided rows, (usually four, as seen,) in line'ivith said axle, and'connected to it directly, or to an attached hub, I, 'in radial lines, likethe spokes of awheel. I usually chainf'er the ends ol' the spokebars wedge-fashion, to take firm hold of the ground in travelling,l and shoe them with band-iron,`to resist'weal.

To enable the driver to run the courses parallel and equidistant between the rows, I hang to cach end of the axle a pendent gauge-bar, It, the foot of which is turned horizontally, to swing clear yof the ground, and fitted with lapped gauge-plates g, secured in any convenient way, so as to lengthen or shorten the projection, and serve as guides in running the adjacent sets of fui-rows. f

I have not exhibited the seat, but I usually place it between the seed-eylinder and perambulator, so that the driver can see the seed as it fallsinto the basins, and in a positionwhere he can lift and lockl the perambulator above the ground by a lever, or arly of the ordinary devices for such purpose, (not shown, to avoid complication,) when it is not proper lto rotate the seeding-cylinder.

A pair of shafts for one horse, or pole for two, (not, shown,) is attached to the frame in the usual place and manner.

- The Aoperation is as follows: The seed-chambers E being properly filled, and the required number of dropping-tubes t attached, with seed-cups to hold the proper quantity of seed, the 1telescopic-cylinder slides, y shares, and pendent gaugebars are adjusted and secnredto agree .with the desired distance between the rows. The driver then starts the team, and as the machinomoves along, supported on its wheels, the points of the t spokes of the peranibulator take'irm hold* of the ground, andcause it to revolve in the-bearings of its connecting-v `bars; the chain-gear rotates the seed-cylinder in exact'ratio, and, as the dropping-tubes t revolve, and drop the seed in the furl-owe, as already described, the covering-rcllers follow up and pack the ground firmly around the seed. As the perambulator stalks over the ground, it leaves visible'marks, which serve as guides to start the machine after itis turned at the end of the field for a new course. The driver drives the machine so that theA` -foot of the pendent gauge-bar follows the'line of the adjacent inarks, and cansec it' the spokebars strike the ground truly in line with the marks previously made in a lateral direction. v By this arrangement the dropping ofthe seed isnot affected as when it is governed by they tractionavheels, l which follow the undulations of the surface, inasmuch as the perainbulator is not disturbed by any inequality of siirface between its strides. But as it isabsolutely necessary that the seed-cylinder and perambulator should move in concert, I prefer to gear' them together, with a suitable chain, v, passing around and gearing intol a `cogged tvheehp, on the perambulator-axle and on the cylinder-shaft. ,l l

x I do not claim broadly planting seed at regu-lar intervals, in several rows at once, by means of an adjust= able cylinder, or any other device, actuated bythe machine in travelling over the ground; neither do I claim conveying the seed through adjustable furrowers, and covering and packing by-concuve rollers; but, having `described my invention, f v

What Ido claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

vIl. I claim, in combination with a wheeled machine for planting corn or other seed at regular intervals, a perambulator, substantially as described, when hung concentrically to a revolvingseed-cylinder, C, and oper'- ated -in connection therewith, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. I claim, when operated in connection with a revolving seed-cylinder, the arrangement and combination of the dropping-tubes t and their attachments with the tappet-pins T and receiving-basins K, for dropping and conveying the seed to the furrowers, substantially as set forth. i' 'Y 3. I claim` the pendent gauge-bars li, in combination with the gauge-plates g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

FRANK J. SMILEY.

Witnesses:

WILSON L. MEAD, Omo L. JOHNSON. 

